Six ways to fix 4K video not playing on computer Windows 11

Mar. 08, 2023 / Updated by Renata to Windows 11

After Windows 11 is updated, one of the most notable features is that it has a higher degree of adaptation to 4k resolution.

Windows 11 is more user-friendly and certainly better than the previous version of Windows 10. Especially in terms of user experience, the support for 4k resolution is higher, and users can watch 4k videos and use 4k wallpapers. The game screen is also more delicate. After updating the Windows 11 system, the user experience is better than ever, but there are also some bugs that need to be fixed by users themselves. For example, the 4K videos are too laggy to view when playing.

A 4K monitor can better match 4K video, but to watch 4K ultra-high-definition video, even if it is not equipped with a 4K monitor , it is still possible.

Article Content:

Introduce 4K performance

To fix 4K video/movie not playing:

Solution1. Update Software

Solution2. Update Driver

Solution3. Switch Power Mode

Solution4. Replace Another Player

Solution5. End Background Processes

Solution6. Run Dedicated Graphics Card

Rule out the display monitor as the cause. If the 4K video not playing on computer, this can be related to a graphics driver, a particular video player, system configuration, low available memory, or corrupted video files. Hence, let’s first understand the potential root cause of the issue before diving deep into fixing it.

Solution1. Update Software

The update of the Windows 11 system is not a re-installation of the system, but an update of the operating system, and will not affect other software and files. Therefore, for software upgrades, you need to manually check and update yourself. Update all software to the latest version:

1. Directly click the Start menu function in the taskbar.

2. Select Microsoft Store and open

3. On the Microsoft Store, choose the Library on the left bottom

4. Update your software

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Solution2. Update Driver

It is the same as after updating Windows 11, the original software did not updated automatically, that the drivers did not updated automatically as OS updating. Hence, users should update drivers by themselves.

The most efficient way to update all drivers is to download a third-party driver updater. It is highly recommended to download Driver Talent.

With this software, you can update outdated devices and back-up as well, as restore the drivers as you need. In order to avoid driver problems in the future, you can also reinstall the problematic driver immediately, So that you do not need to check what is going on with computer drivers and update them manually.

Download Driver Talent

For only one click, Driver Talent will scan the computer automatically and list all drivers which needed to be updated. Next, you can install all drivers.

Solution3. Switch Power Mode

Running and playing 4K video requires more power and resources, so if your computer is in balanced mode, it may reduce the quality of video and audio playback in order to balance the use of other programs on the computer.

Therefore, users should change the Power Mode to the Best Performance:

1. Type WIN+R on the keyboard together, open the Setting Window

2. On the Setting Window, choose System

3. Tap on the Power & Battery option.

4. Click on the drop-down menu right next to the Power mode option.

5. Select Best Performance.

Solution4. Replace Another Player

The poor playback quality of the video may also be related to the player. Some players will compress the image quality. If your screen and computer settings can already achieve 4K effect, but the video is still not high-definition enough, try another player.

Solution5. End Background Processes

All computers or PCs have a limited amount of RAM and storage. Too many background processes will take up computer RAM storage, it will affect the playback effect of the computer video: 4K video not playing on computer, the video freezes, the video sound and picture do not match, the video playback is not smooth, etc.

Right click the Task Bar and open Task Manager

In this window, you can end the close some unnecessary background programs and release memory.

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Solution6. Run Dedicated Graphics Card

The difference between integrated graphics and dedicated graphics card:

1. Performance comparison: The dedicated graphics has a separate processing chip and video memory, it is faster when processing graphics data, and it has a separate cooling fan, so the cooling effect is better.

2. Comparison of resource occupancy rate: dedicated graphics card occupies less resources, because it completes the budget by itself, so the CPU and memory usage of the computer is lower than that of integrated graphics card, which needs to use the CPU and memory in the calculation resource.

In summary: Dedicated graphics cards run faster and perform better than integrated graphics cards.

If all the methods mentioned above fail to solve 4K video not playing on computer, it is recommended that you add a dedicated graphics card to the computer. After adding a dedicated graphics, here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Type WIN+I to open Setting Window

2. Choose System Tab, and click on the Display option.

3. Scroll down and tap on Graphics..

4. Select the media player which you want to use to play 4K videos.

5. Click Options and select High performance.


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